Needle-guard for sewing-machines.



J. R. MOFFATT 61. R. S. KELSO.

NEEDLE GUARD FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 9,1911.

Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

ENTURJS A liameys COLUA c.

TINTTED @Tdfl PATENT Ol hh lififit JAMES R. MOFFATT AND RALPH S. KE LSO, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS T0 UNION SPECIAL MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

NEEDLE-GUARD FOR SEWIN G-MAOHIN ES.

Application filed November 9, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES R. Morm'rr and RALPH S. KELSO, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, tain new and useful Improvements in Needle Guards for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Our invention relates more particularly to a needle guard which is adapted for use on a multiple needle sewing machine.

he objects of the invention are to provide a needle guard which maybe moved 1nto engagement with the needle in the rear. thereof, so as to prevent the needle from being deflected and struck by the looper, and which also is constructed so as to engage the needle on "the rear side thereof to prevent the deflection of the needle when it is operating to draw up the previous needle loops shed from the looper.

The needle guard forming the subject of this application is fully described and illustratecl in our application filed November 4th, 1911, Serial N 0. 658,564, in its relation to the loopers and needles, and the present invention consists in the needle guard per .96, as it may be used in any character of machine.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the needle guard, illustrating the loopers and needles; Fig. 2 is an end view of the needle guard; Fig. 3 is a side view; Fig. 4 is a plan view; and Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively diagrammatic views, showing the position of the elements on the down and up strokes of the needle.

In these drawings, the needles are shown at 1, and the loopers at 2. The needle guard is mounted upon the looper-carrier 3, and partakes of the four motions of the looper.

The needle guard consists of a plurality of upwardly projecting parts forming spaced walls between which the needles may More particularly, it consists of a projecting member 4 at the rear side of the guard, and a projecting member 5 at the front side of the guard. Between these projecting members 4 and 5 are two projecting members 6 and 7 The projecting mem Specification of Letters Patent.

have invented cer- 7 above description, that vmoving in the opposite Patented Oct. 26, 1915. Serial No. 659,371.

ber 6 is formed in two parts 8 and 9, and the projecting member 7 in two parts 10 and T e projecting member 8 is in advance heprojecting member 9, and the right members is operated as a needle guard when the looper is moving in one direction, and the other memher is operated as a needle guard and upon another needle when the looper is moving in the other direction. When the loopers are moving forward into the needle loops, the

needles, and prevent any deflection of the needles to the left, so that the loopers may pass very closely to these needles without any danger of striking the same. When the loopers are moved laterally, that is, to the right, the needle guard will also be carried to the right, and as the loopers are retracted the projecting members 4, 9 and 11 will now engage the rear faces of the needles and at a time when the loopers are withdrawing from the needle loops, so that any strain on the needles as they draw up these shed loops will be taken up bv these guarding members, and all deflections of the needle from its normal path be avoided.

It will be apparent, therefore, from the spaced members 4 and 8 are provided, which cooperate with the extreme left hand needle, and one of these members engage the needle when the looper is moving in one direction, and the other engages the needle when the looper is direction. For the middle needle, two spaced needle guarding members 7 and 9 are also provided, and foithe right hand outside needle there are likewise two spaced projecting members 5 and The members 8 and 9 and 10 and 11 are herein shown as formed integral, for the reason that the needles are brought comparatively close together, as viewed in a direction transverse to the line of feed. From certain aspects of the invention, however, it will be seen that these parts can be made separate, and that only one pair of projecting members may be used with a single needle.

It will be seen, therefore, that with each nee le there is a pair of projecting members which are spaced and partake of all the movements of the looper, and first one and i space between the projecting members serves c be adjusted so as a clearance space for the needle. These projecting members for each needle, th erefore, form a needle guard, and said pro ecting members constitute means for engaging the needle on the rear side thereof on both forward and return strokes of the looper.

The needle guarding members constitutingthe needle guard, as clearly shown in the drawings, are all arranged on'a common shank 3 and this shank is held in a socket in the looper carrier 3 by a screw 12. By loosening the screw 12 the needle guard may as to properly position the guarding members relative to the respective needles.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new. and desire to secure by Letv ters Patent, is

1. A needle guard having a vertical opening for the passage of the needle, and laterally spaced guiding walls adapted to cooperate with the same face of the needle.

' 2. A needle guard having a pair of upwardly extending members forming a recess in which the needle is guided in its downward movement, the outer face of one of said members serving to guide the needle in its upward movement.

3. A needle guardingand guiding member for sewing machines including a plurality of vertical members arranged in pairs, each pair forming a recess in which the needle is v guidedin its downward movement, the-outer face of one of the members of'each pair serv- Copies of this patent may be obtained for flve cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. 6.

ing to guide the needle in its upward movement.

4. A needle guarding and guiding member for sewing machines including a plurality of vertical members arranged in pairs, each pair forming a recess in which the needle is guided in its downward movement, the outer I face of one of the members of each pair serving' to guide the needle in its upward movement, said pairs being successively in advance of each other.

5. A needle guard having a vertical opening for the passage of the needle on its downward movement, the external face of the guard being adapted to guide the needle in its upward movement.

6. A needle guard adapted to move across the plane of the feed and provided with means for engaging the needle directly in rear thereof on both the downward and upward movements of the needle.

7. A needle guard adapted to move across the plane of the feed and provided with means for engaging the needle on the rear face thereof on both the downward and upward movements of the needle, said needle guard having a supporting shank, and means whereby the shank may be adjusted to properly position the needle guard relative to the needle.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures, in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES R. MOFFATT. RALPH S. KELSO.

Witnesses:

G. MoNEiL, A. B. CLo'rnmR.

Commissioner of .E'atents, 

